Signature feed for stitching machines



July 12, 1955 J. w. MILLER SIGNATURE FEED FOR STITCHING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 17, 1952 INVENTOR. Jfl/M/ 11 MILLER BY r5770 IBNEY.

July 12, 1955 J. w. MILLER 2,712,648

SIGNATURE FEED FOR STITCHING MACHINES Filed Jan. 17, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

J OHN W. N/L L ER BY ML *Jl mri ATTORA/EXj.

July 12, 1955 J. w. MILLER 2,712,648

SIGNATURE FEED FOR STITCHING MACHINES Filed Jan. 17, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 :iig. 7

INVENTOR. JOHN W. M/LLER QTTOR VEYS.

United States Fatent Qfiice 2,712,648 Patented July 12, 1955 SIGNATURE 1 8R STH'CHLNG P/EACHINES .l'ohn W. Miller, Benton Harbor, Mich, assiguor to F. P. Roshack Company, Benton Harbor, Mich a corporation of Michigan Application .ianuary 17, 1952, Serial No. 266,855

8 Claims. (Ci. 1-7) The present improvements, relating as in icated to machines for stitching signatures and the like, have more particular regard to the provision for and combination with a specially designed, relatively simple, stitching machine of a delivery and packer mechanism whereby the stitched assemblies may be collected in the form of a stack ready for such further disposition as may be required.

One principal object is to provide such a packer delivery that will be simple in construction, with practically no moving parts, and one that will require a minimum amount of adjustment to adapt it to varying sizes of signature assemblies. A further object is to provide such a mechanism wherein the signature assemblies will be collected and stacked in horhzontal position, rather than on their edges. Still another object is to provide means whereby the stitching of successive assemblies may be staggered without otherwise changing the operation of the machine as a whole.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention then consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanics. forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improved packer delivery mechanism, shown in combination with a signature stitching machine of the type wherewith it is designed to cooperate;

2 is an end elevation of such packer delivery mechanism as viewed from the left in Fig. l;

3 is an elevation of the corresponding, i. e. discharge, end of the signature stitching machine, shown apart from the packer delivery mechanism;

4 is a horizontal section or" a portion of the packer delivery, the plane of such section being shown by the line 4-i-, Fi 2;

Fig. 5 is a front view corresponding to that of Fig. l but showing on a larger scale the mechanism associated with disk-cam 13 on drive shaft 5 whereby the reciprocatory movement of slide 16 may be automatically varied to stagger the stitches;

Fig. 6 is a plan View of the portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 5; and

Fig, 7 is a vertical section of a detail thereof, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 77, Fig. 5.

Since an understanding of the construction and operation of the signature stitching machine will be helpful, if not essential, to understanding the construction of the packer delivery mechanism and the manner in which it cooperates with such signature stitching machine, the latter will be first briefly described. As illustrated in Fig. l, the signature stitching machine is of the so-called saddle type in which the various signatures, upon being gathered together, are placed by the operator on a saddle of general inverted-V cross-section, from which they are thereupon transferred by operation of the machine to the stitching station from which in turn they are successively discharged or delivered to the packer.

The main frame of such signature stitching machine comprises an oblong box-like structure P which at the same time serves as a housing for certain of the operating parts and serves to support others. Thus the stitcher heads 1, of which two are shown as being utilized, are supported over one end of the saddle 2 forwardly of a vertical extension 3 of the previously mentioned housin Such stitcher heads are of standard construction and therefore do not require to be described in detail. The main driving member for the machine is a transverse shaft 5 that forms part of a worm and worm gear assembly 6 suitably supported in the base of the machine, such assembly being driven by means of a motor 7 and also serving through suitable connections (not illustrated) to operate the stitching heads 1.

Each of the stitchers I. is opposed by a clincher or anvil member 30 which is required to reciprocate in unison with the reciprocatory movement or" the stitchers and also to be longitudinally adjustable in the same manner as such stitchers. Said clincher members, together with the operating mechanism therefor, are housed between skirt-like side walls 11 which depend from the inverted V-shaped saddle 2, such mechanism being actuated through a vertically reciprocable bar 12 that is in turn actuated by a disk-cam 13 on drive shaft 5.

Also located between such side walls ll of the saddle is guide 15 which extends longitudinally of the saddle from a point adjacent the outer end thereof (the right hand end as shown in Fig. l) to a point adjacent the stitching station. Mounted for movement along such guide is a slide 16 which is operated by means of an interconnected lever 1'7 and links 18 and B by the same cam 13 which reciprocates bar 12.

Attached to slide 36, so as to partake of the tatters reciprocatory movement, is a bar 2% that extends to the left therefrom, this bar being of such length that when the slide reaches its limit of movement in the corresponding direction it will project a substantial distance beyond the stitching station, as Well as beyond the corresponding end of the saddle. This bar is formed with a plurality of fingers 21 (two as shown), one adjacent its extremity and the other adjacent the slide 16, the location of such fingers and the distance thercbetween being such that when the bar is positioned as illustrated in Fig. l, the foremost will lie beyond the stitchin station while the rearmost lies closely adjacent thereto. Howe 'er, upon reciprocation of the slide in reverse direction (to the right as shown in l), the first finger will lie approximately in the position previously occupied by the second, and the latter will be withdrawn to a point beyond an adjustable stop 22 on the saddle, which serves as a locating point for the placement on such saddle of the signature assemblies which are to stitched. The front wall of the saddle is formed with an elongated slot 23 through which such fingers 21 project, the latter being formed to engage correspondingly spaced signature assemblies upon their forward movement, but being so shaped as to slide by such assemblies upon their reverse movement.

The operation of the machine as thus far described may be conveniently set forth at this point. .ssuming the slide 16, and thus bar 20 with the fingers 21 thereon, to be withdrawn, i. e. moved to the extreme right hand position, and an assembly of signatures to be placed on the saddle against stop 22, such assembly will be engaged by the rearmost fingers upon the forward movement of the slide and be carried thereby along the saddle int-o stitching position. During the stitching operation the w reverse movement of the slide, and thus of the fingers, occurs, with the result that the forward finger is drawn back through the assembly being stitched, and the rear finger positioned as before ready to advance second assembly. Upon repetition of the forward movement, such second assembly is moved into stitching position and the previously stitched assembly is carried by the forward finger to the point of delivery beyond the corresponding end of the saddle, there to be received by the packer delivery mechanism, which will now be described.

Suitably attached to the front wall of the main frame or housing F is a vertical plate 25 that forms the main support for such packer delivery mechanism, and specifically for a horizontally projecting plate or shelf 26 that is slidably attached to such vertical plate and adapted to be held in vertically adjusted position by means of pins 2"? carried by brackets 28 that form part of such shelf and that are adapted to enter into one or the other of a series of holes 29 in plate 25.

Adjustably supported on shelf 26, so as to be movable in or out therealong, is a vertical plate 31) that faces plate 25 and is held in selected position on the shelf by frictional engagement of a spring 31 with the latter. It should be explained that the stitched signatures or pamphlets are designed to be received and stacked in horizontal position, one above the other, in the box-like space thus provided between plates 25 and 30, the position of the latter being adjusted to suit the width of such signatures or pamphlets.

For'the purpose of effecting transfer of the stitched signatures or pamphlets following their discharge as above described from the stitching machine, a guide plate 32 is mounted above vertical plate 25, the main portion of such plate being bent or curved in a vertical plane, as shown in Pig. 2, so that'its upper, approximately vertical, portion will be located adjacent the corresponding end of saddle 2 and in approximate alignment with the rear edge of such saddle. The upper portion of such guide plate 32 is furthermore formed with an extension 33 which projects inwardly beyond such end of saddle 2 and is curved or flared rearwardly, as best shown in Fig. 4-. Accordingly, even though, as will ordinarily be the case, the stitched signature will tend to open up, this curved extension 33 of guide plate 32 will compress or swing the same sufiiciently to insure its being guided onto the main body of plate 32.

The guide plate 32 with its extension 33 will desirably be made of light sheet metal or plastic material, and in order to give sufficient rigidity to the same the lateral edges may be recurvecl in the form of beads 34.

The bar 2% of the stitcher machine which reciprocates within the saddle and carries the fingers 21, whereby successive signature assemblies are advanced to the stitching position and then carried therebeyond to the point ofdischarge over the packer delivery mechanism, is provided at its forward end with an extension 49, preferably detachably secured to such end as by a bayonet joint. This extension is designed to support a stitched assembly or collated booklet as it is pushed beyond the stitching station and adjacent end of the saddle by the corresponding finger on said bar. At its limit of movement of the bar in this direction, such extension will occupy' approximately the position over. guide plate 32. shown in Fig. 1. Fixedly mounted adjacent to such extension is a suitable stripper finger 41, which strips the stitched assembly therefrom when it is retracted upon reverse movement of the slide bar 20.

Such assembly or booklet is thereupon left free to slide down the curved main body of guide plate 32 from the lower edge of which it will drop onto shelf 26. Such assemblies or booklets, being held in place by the adjustable outer plate 30, will form a compact stack which may be removed from the shelf when a suflicient number has accumulated to rise to the level of the lower edge of guide plate 32. Alternatively, the shelf as the height of the stack increases.

In order to facilitate the packing of the stitched signature assemblies or booklets, it is not infrequently desirable that the stitching thereof be staggered, i. e. that the stitches on successive assemblies be shifted sufficiently so that they do not directly overlie when stacked in the packer deliver or when subsequently removed therefrom for packaging. Simple and effective means for automatically obtaining such shifting or staggering of the stitching in the present machine will be found illustrated in detail in Figs. 5, 6 and 7.

As there shown more clearly than in Fig. 1, the link 19, which through interconnected lever 17 and link 18 serves to reciprocate slide 16, is connected to the actuating disk-cam 13 by means of an adjustable crank pin 35. indeed, for the purpose in hand, said disk may be regarded simply as a crank carried by drive shaft 5. Specifically, such crank pin forms an extension eccentrically mounted on the outer end of a rotary stub shaft 37 that is journalled in a suitable bearing 38 in diskcam 13. On theinner end of stub shaft 37 is mounted gear 39 that meshes with a pinion i i that is mounted concentrically win the shaft 5 which carries the diskcam. Said pinion is normally held against rotation relatively to said shaft, although its angular position about its axis maybe changed, as will presently be described. Accordingly as the disk is caused to rotate, the gear 39, together with the stub shaft, will be rotated about the latters axis and so cause a shift in position of the eccentric 3-5, once during each revolution of the cam, from a point where it lies nearest shaft 5 to a point where it is removed the farthest therefrom.

Obviously the throw imparted to slide 16 will be correspondingly varied and thus the position of the signature ssembly that is being advanced thereby along the saddle to stitching position. it will be understood that the ratio of the gear 39 to pinion 44 is such that one such advance movement will occur when the eccentric occupies one of the two points just referred to relative to shaft 5 and the other when such eccentric occupies the other point. Accordingly the stitching position of successive assembled signatures will be readily shifted a corresponding distance, e. .g. to the amount of one inch or less as may be found desirable, with the result that the stitches instead of overlying will be displaced, or staggered, relatively to each other.

Since it may not be desired always thus to stagger the stitching, means are provided whereby the stitches may be uniformly applied to successive signature assemblies. Thus it will be observed (see particularly Fig. 7), that pinion 4 is mounted directly on drive shaft 5, although not pinned or keyed thereto. in order to hold said pinion against rotation, one end of a plate-like arm 45 is fixed thereto, the other end of such arm having a lateral promay be lowered jection whereby it may be secured to an adjacent frame member by a set screw 42 or like fastener.

Actually, two points for thus attaching said arm are thus provided, the second point, indicated by a second fastener 43, being so located that in swinging the outer end of arm 4-5 from the one to the other, the pinion attached to the inner end of the arm will be rotated through an angle of 180 about its axis, the result of this will be to rotate gear 39 through an angle of 90 about its axis.

5 Accordingly the eccentrically carried crank pin 35', instead sary to swing arm 35 in a clockwise direction from the position shown in Fig. 5 so as to bring its outer end in position to be secured by the right handfastener 43.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the present improved signature stitching machine with its dir'ectly associated packer delivery, while simple in construction, provides for the handling of a considerable variety of work. Not only may the stitching machine be readily adjusted to handle signature assemblies of varying size, but also for the staggered stitching of the same where it is found desirable. Similarly the pa ker delivery may be readily adjusted to receive stitched assemblies of various sizes within the capacity of this stitching machine, and to collect them in convenient form for packaging.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead or" the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. in a signature stitching machine wherein the signatures to be stitched are moved along a saddle to a stitching machine, the combination of a saddle, an elongated member reciprocable longitudinally of said saddle, a plurality of fingers carried by and spaced along said member, means adapted to reciprocate the latter in synchronism with operation of the stitching machine, said fingers projecting laterally beyond said saddle and being shaped to engage correspondingly spaced signature assemblies resting thereon upon movement towards the stitching machine, one of said fingers being so located as to move the signature assembly engaged thereby into position to be stitched when said member reaches the limit of its reciprocatory movement towards the stitching machine and another of said fingers being so located as simultaneously to move a previously stitched signature beyond the discharge end of said saddle, and means adapted automatically to change the throw of said reciprocatory means upon successive reciprocations of said finger-carrying member, whereby the stitching of successive assemblies may be staggered.

2. In a signature stitching machine wherein the signatures to be stitched are moved along a saddle to a stitching machine, the combination of a saddle, an elongated 1 member reciprocable longitudinally of said saddle, a plurality of lingers carried by and spaced along said member, means adapted to reciprocate the latter in synchronism with operation of the stitching machine, said fingers projecting laterally beyond said saddle and being shaped to engage correspondingly spaced signature assemblies restinc thereon upon movement towards the stitching machine, one of said fingers being so located as to move the signature assembly engaged thereby into position to be stitched when said member reaches the limit of its reciprocatory movement towards the stitching machine and another of said fingers being so located as simultaneously to move a previously stitched signature beyond the discharge end of said saddle, said reciprocating means including a rotatable driving disk, a link, a stub shaft rotatably mounted on said disk and carrying a crank pin wherewith one end of said link is connected, said pin being eccentrically mounted with respect to the axis of said shaft, and means adapted to rotate the latter synchronously with the rotation of said disk.

3. In a signature stitching machine wherein the signatures to be stitched are moved along a saddle to a stitching machine, the combination of a saddle, an elongated member reciprocable longitudinally of said saddle, a plurality of fingers carried by and spaced along said member, means adapted to reciprocate the latter in synchronism with operation of the stitching machine, said fingers pro jecting laterally beyond said saddle and being shaped to engage correspondingly spaced signature assemblies resting thereon upon movement towards the stitching machine, one of said fingers being so located as to move the signature assembly engaged thereby into position to be stitched when said member reaches the limit of its reciprocatory movement towards the stitching machine and another of said fingers being so located as simultaneously to move a previously stitched signature beyond the discharge end of said saddle, said reciprocating means including a rotatable driving disk, a link, a stub shaft rotatably mounted on said disk and carrying a crank pin wherewith one end of said link is connected, said pin being eccentrically mounted with respect to the axis of said shaft, and means adapted to rotate the latter at one-half the speed of rotation of said disk.

4. in a signature stitching machine wherein the signatures to be stitched are moved along a saddle to a stitching machine, the combination of a saddle, an elongated member reciprocable longitudinally of said saddle, a plurality of fingers carried by and spaced along said member, means adapted to reciprocate the latter in synchronism with operation of the stitching machine, said fingers projecting laterally beyond said saddle and being shaped to engage correspondingly spaced signature assemblies resting thereon upon movement towards the stitching machine, one of said fingers being so located as to move the signature assembly engaged thereby into position to be stitched when said member reaches the limit of its reciprocatory movement towards the stitching machine and another of said fingers being so located as simultaneously to move a previously stitched signature beyond the discharge end of said saddle, said reciprocating means including a rotatable driving disk, a link, a stub shaft rotatably mounted on said disk and carrying a crank pin wherewith one end of said link is connected, said pin being eccentrically mounted with respect to the axis of said shaft, a gear fixedly mounted on said shaft, and a non-rotatably held pinion mounted co-axially with said disk and meshing with said gear.

5. in a signature stitching machine wherein the signatures to be stitched are moved along a saddle to a stitching machine, the combination of a saddle, an elongated member reciprocable longitudinally of said saddle, a plurality of fingers carried by and spaced along said member, means adapted to reciprocate the latter in synchronism with operation of the stitching machine, said fingers projecting laterally beyond said saddle and being shaped to engage correspondingly spaced signature assemblies resting thereon upon movement towards the stitching machine, one of said fingers being so located as to move the signature assembly engaged thereby into position to be stitched when said member reaches the limit of its reciprocatory movement towards the stitching machine and another of said fingers being so located as simultaneously to move a previously stitched signature beyond the discharge end of said saddle, said reciprocating means including a rotatable driving disk, a link, a stub shaft rotatably mounted on said disk and carrying a crank pin wherewith one end of said link is connected, said pin being eccentrically mounted with respect to the axis of said shaft, 2. gear fixedly mounted on said shaft, a pinion mounted co-axially with said disk, and means adapted non-rotatably to hold said pinion in positions apart.

6. In a signature stitching machine wherein the collated signatures to be stitched are advanced along a support to the stitching mechanism, a reciprocable feed member for thus advancing such signatures on said support, a lever operative upon oscillation thereof to reciprocate said feed member, a drive disk having a stub shaft mounted for rotation thereon, a link connected to said lever and eccentrically connected to said stub shaft to oscillate the lever and hence reciprocate the feed member responsively to rotation of said drive disk, a gear fixedly mounted on said stub shaft, a pinion mounted co-axially with said drive disk and in mesh with said gear, and means operative non-rotatably to hold said pinion in selected positions of adjustment relative to said drive disk to cause the stub shaft to rotate and the eccentric connection of the link therewith to shift with rotation of the drive disk, the gear and pinion engagement in one such adjusted position shifting the eccentric connection of the link so as to vary the limit of feed member advance on succeserated to produce staggered or uniform stitching'of successive signature assemblies as desired by adjustment of said means respectively to such one position and to such other. position.

7.. in a signature stitching machine wherein the collated signatures to be stitched are advanced along a support to the stitching mechanism, a reciprocable feed member forthus advancing such signatures on said support, a lever operative upon oscillation thereof to reciprocate said feed member, a drive disk having a stub shaft mounted for rotationthereon, a linkconnected to said leverand eccentricaliy connected to said stub shaft to oscillate the lever and hence reciprocate the'feed member responsively to rotation of said drive disk, a gear fixed mounted on said stub shaft, a pinion mounted coaxially With said drive disk and in mesh with said gear, and means operative non-rotatably to'hold said pinion to cause the stub shaft to rotate and the eccentric connection of the link therewith to shift with rotation of said drive disk, the gear and pinion engagement causing such eccentric connection to shift such that the limit of feed member advance is varied on successive reciprocations of said member, thereby to stagger thestitches of successive. signature assemblies.

iii

W 8. In a signature stitching machine'wherein the col- Rated signatures to be stitched are advanced along a support to the stitching mechanism, a reciprocable feed member for thus advancing such signatures on said support, a lever operative upon oscillation thereof to reciprocate said feed member, a drive disk having a stub shaft mounted'for rotation thereon, a link connected to' said lever and eccentrically connected to said stub shaft to oscillate the lever and hence reciprocate the feed member responsively to rotation of said drive disk, and means for rotating said stub shaft synchronously with rotation of said drive disk and in such relation thereto that the eccentric connection of shaft and link is shifted to vary the advance of said feed member, thereby to stagger the stitches of the signature assemblies fed to the machine.

References Eited in the file of this patent UNiTED STATES PATENTS 538,021 Jonas Apr. 23, 1895 1,351,231 Christensen Aug. 31, 1920 1,399,555 Heitshu Dec, 6, 1921 1,608,839 Christensen Nov. 30, 1926 2,124,858 Marchand July 26, 1938 2,273,476 Shaffer Feb. 17, 1942 

